In the middle of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, there is one of the most surreal sights on our planet, a giant crater that has been burning for decades. Dubbed the ‘Gate to Hell,’ this burning ...

At night, the Darvaza gas crater looks almost theatrical: a ring of fire dropped into the Karakum Desert, its orange glow carrying across the dark, flat landscape of central Turkmenistan. For decades, ...